The present invention is related to verifying the suitability of images in incoming files for use in subsequent processing operations, and more specifically to Tag Image File Format (TIFF) validation.
The Check 21 legislation allowed image exchange files in the X9.37 standard format to be routed between banks for processing of financial transactions. A bank may not be able to successfully process an image if the tag image file format (TIFF) tags associated with the image were not created by application systems at the capturing institution per generally accepted industry standards. Even if the images and tags meet the generic requirements of the published standard, processing systems at receiving institutions may not properly process all combinations of image characteristics (size, etc.,) and the presence of specific tags and tag values. Accepting images that ultimately cannot be processed by the receiving bank's systems or systems at banks subsequent to the receiving bank can result in delays, manual exception processing, and customer dissatisfaction. Nonconforming images may not be able to be used in downstream systems such as online banking, image statements, CD-ROM creation, and downstream image enabled applications. These are not one time problems. A Check21 Image originating institution may be 100% in TIFF compliance and then have problems through the replacement of a machine, system or process (e.g., new low speed scanner) used for image processing. Hence these problems can be extremely low to non-existent in a steady state environment but then get created due to implemented changes. Currently, within many Financial Institutions there is no ongoing process that constantly monitors these problems. Further, there is no automated process for returning information regarding failed images to a sending institution for their correction, including a detailed description of the errors that were found, or correction of a machine or process causing the TIFF tag problems.